Is there a way to prove Axiom of Choice I from Axiom of Choice II?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the relationship between two axioms of choice in set theory, specifically whether Axiom of Choice I can be proven from Axiom of Choice II. Participants explore the definitions and implications of both axioms, raising questions about their correctness and equivalence.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants assert that Axiom of Choice I states that for any relation R, there exists a function F such that the domain of F equals the domain of R.
  • Others argue that Axiom of Choice II asserts that the Cartesian product of nonempty sets is always nonempty, and question whether Axiom I can be derived from Axiom II.
  • Several participants express doubts about the correctness of the axioms as stated, particularly regarding the implications when R is empty.
  • One participant suggests that if R is a nonempty set of ordered pairs, then Axiom I fails if F is empty, as it would not be a function.
  • Another participant proposes a reformulation of Axiom of Choice I, suggesting that it should specify that for every nonempty relation R, there exists a function F such that F(h) is in h for all h in the power set of R excluding the empty set.
  • Some participants discuss the need for a construction of the function f in the context of proving Axiom I from Axiom II, raising questions about the definitions and domains involved.
  • There is a suggestion that the axioms may be equivalent under certain corrections, but the exact nature of these corrections is debated.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally disagree on the correctness of the axioms as presented and whether Axiom I can be proven from Axiom II. There is no consensus on the definitions or implications of the axioms, and multiple competing views remain throughout the discussion.

Contextual Notes

Limitations in the discussion include unclear definitions of the axioms, particularly regarding the treatment of empty sets and the conditions under which the axioms apply. The participants also express uncertainty about the implications of their proposed formulations.

NasuSama
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I am learning interesting topics in set theory class. I believe that there is a straight proof of Axiom of Choice II by Axiom of Choice I.

If you don't know the axioms, see below:

Axiom of Choice I states that for any relation R, there is a function F\subseteq R with dom(F) = dom(R).

Axiom of Choice II states that the Cartesian product of nonempty sets is always nonempty. That is, if H is a function with domain I and if (\forall i \in I)H(i)\neq ∅, then there is a function f with domain I such that (\forall i \in I)f(i) \subseteq H(i).

The question is: Is there a way to prove Axiom of Choice I from Axiom of Choice II?
 
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iirc: these are axioms in the same order - so "no".
axioms are statements taken to be true in order to draw conclusions from them.
if II could be proven from I then you won't need II to continue.
... now to be proved wrong ;)
 
I don't think those axioms are right.

NasuSama said:
I am learning interesting topics in set theory class. I believe that there is a straight proof of Axiom of Choice II by Axiom of Choice I.

If you don't know the axioms, see below:

Axiom of Choice I states that for any relation R, there is a function F\subseteq R with dom(F) = dom(R).

What if you take R=\emptyset? Then it clearly doesn't hold?

Axiom of Choice II states that the Cartesian product of nonempty sets is always nonempty. That is, if H is a function with domain I and if (\forall i \in I)H(i)\neq ∅, then there is a function f with domain I such that (\forall i \in I)f(i) \subseteq H(i).

You want f(i)\in H(i) and not f(i)\subseteq H(i).

The question is: Is there a way to prove Axiom of Choice I from Axiom of Choice II?

Anyway, if you correct your two axioms enough, then I and II are indeed equivalent (as they should be). The proof is really a good exercise, but to prove I from II, you should think of

\prod_{i\in I} \{(i,y)~\vert~(i,y)\in R\}
 
micromass said:
I don't think those axioms are right.



What if you take R=\emptyset? Then it clearly doesn't hold?



You want f(i)\in H(i) and not f(i)\subseteq H(i).



Anyway, if you correct your two axioms enough, then I and II are indeed equivalent (as they should be). The proof is really a good exercise, but to prove I from II, you should think of

\prod_{i\in I} \{(i,y)~\vert~(i,y)\in R\}

Oh oops. Sorry for some sort of typos.
 
Wouldn't the proof starts with the Cartesian product of some sets instead of product of ordered pairs?
 
Last edited:
Here is my approach.

I define:

X_{i\in I} H(i) = f | f with dom(f) = I and \forall i \in I f(i) \in H(i)

Assume that H(i) and f(i) are not empty, and that H(i) has the domain I.

If dom(f) = I and dom(H) = I, then dom(f) = dom(H) = I. Then, we need to show that f \subseteq H

Let (i,y) \in f. It should be clear that (i,y) \in f(i) \in H(i) → (i,y) \in H(i). So f \subseteq H
 
micromass said:
I don't think those axioms are right.



What if you take R=\emptyset? Then it clearly doesn't hold?


I agree. If R is a nonempty set of ordered pairs(a relation) and F = ∅, then dom(F)≠dom(R) and so Axiom I clearly fails. However, if R = ∅ then the Axiom of Choice doesn't apply because it specifically refers to a collection of nonempty sets.


NasuSama,

The Axiom of Choice states that every collection of non-empty sets has a choice function. That is: If I≠∅ is an index set and the nonempty collection of sets
S_{i \in I} has the property that that S_{\forall i \in I} \ne \emptyset then \exists f \; | \; f(i) \in S_{i}, \forall i \in I

Given that the Axiom of Choice is not falsifiable in ZFC set theory the best you can do is to show equivalents of it.

My approach would be to reformulate Axiom of Choice I as the statement: For every relation R ≠ ∅, there exists a function F such that F(h) \in h \; , \; \forall h \in \mathcal{P}(R) \sim \emptyset.
 
NasuSama said:
Wouldn't the proof starts with the Cartesian product of some sets instead of product of ordered pairs?

I'm not taking the product of order pairs. I'm defining the following subset of R. For each i\in I, let

R_i = \{(i,y)~\vert~(i,y)\}

and then I take the product

\prod_{i\in I} R_i

Apply the second form of AC on that.

NasuSama said:
Here is my approach.

I define:

X_{i\in I} H(i) = f | f with dom(f) = I and \forall i \in I f(i) \in H(i)

The usual notation is with \prod. So I guess it should be

\prod_{i\in I} H(i) = f

But I don't see what it means to set a product of sets equal to a function.

Assume that H(i) and f(i) are not empty, and that H(i) has the domain I.

What does it mean for H(i) to have domain I?? H(i) is just a set.

If dom(f) = I and dom(H) = I, then dom(f) = dom(H) = I. Then, we need to show that f \subseteq H

Let (i,y) \in f. It should be clear that (i,y) \in f(i) \in H(i) → (i,y) \in H(i). So f \subseteq H

Why does f\subseteq H show what we want?

Furthermore, in this entire proof, you have postulated the existence of f. But you have to actually construct f in some way.
 
Zelyucha said:
I agree. If R is a nonempty set of ordered pairs(a relation) and F = ∅, then dom(F)≠dom(R) and so Axiom I clearly fails.

You can't choose F=\emptyset since then F wouldn't be a function.

However, if R = ∅ then the Axiom of Choice doesn't apply because it specifically refers to a collection of nonempty sets.

The OP never said anything about nonempty sets. He should have, though.

The Axiom of Choice states that every collection of non-empty sets has a choice function. That is: If I≠∅ is an index set and the nonempty collection of sets
S_{i \in I} has the property that that S_{\forall i \in I} \ne \emptyset then \exists f \; | \; f(i) \in S_{i}, \forall i \in I

Given that the Axiom of Choice is not falsifiable in ZFC set theory the best you can do is to show equivalents of it.

The Axiom of Choice is an axiom in ZFC. I guess you mean ZF.

My approach would be to reformulate Axiom of Choice I as the statement: For every relation R ≠ ∅, there exists a function F such that F(h) \in h \; , \; \forall h \in \mathcal{P}(R) \sim \emptyset.

I'm not sure how this would help us. Your F would then be a function with domain \mathcal{P}(R). That is not the intention of the Axiom of Choice I. I don't doubt that it is equivalent to your statement however, but it's making things difficult.
 
  • #10
micromass said:
You can't choose F=\emptyset The Axiom of Choice is an axiom in ZFC. I guess you mean ZF.

Well yeah, since the Z in ZFC is for Ernst Zermelo who formulated it first.
I'm not sure how this would help us. Your F would then be a function with domain \mathcal{P}(R). That is not the intention of the Axiom of Choice I. I don't doubt that it is equivalent to your statement however, but it's making things difficult.

For any non-empty set S, \mathcal{P}(R) \sim ]emptyset is itself a collection of non-empty sets. An equivalent statement(the way Paul Halmos defines it in his book Naive Set Theory[/I) is:

The Cartesian product of a collection of non-empty sets is non-empty

What I'm trying to do is clarify what the Axiom of Choice actually says. When I first learned it from the book I referenced, it made very little sense. But once you understand what a Choice function is(a function that picks out an element from a non-empty set), then it becomes more clear. Since a (finitary)relation R on a set is just a collection of n-tuples, then if the set is not empty then R is a non-empty. Now in the case of a finite collection of non-empty finite sets, you actually can prove the existence of a choice function on them.
 
  • #11
Zelyucha said:
then if the set is not empty then R is a non-empty.

Why can't the empty set be a relation?
 

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